What is your book about?

I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to share my book with Authors’ Lounge!

Blooming Season is a collection of poems empowering women to grow through adversity, break unhealthy cycles, unabashedly love and honor themselves and reclaim their divine power.

It’s easy to forget who we are when we’re continuously stigmatized by society through sexism, racism and colorism. We’re taught that love is dependent upon how much pain we can endure, while our worth is dependent upon how others perceive us.

There’s more to life than pain, and true love begins within loving ourselves. It’s completely possible to be our own heroes, even when the odds seem to be against us. When our desire to succeed is greater than any obstacle we face, that is when we’ll bloom.

What inspired you to write the book?

Rejection always inspires me to keep trying.

I had submitted my poetry to various chapbook contests but couldn’t seem to be chosen by any. At the time, my poetry shed a light on the many stages of growth I was embracing in life. As a woman and writer, I felt it was my duty to share the wisdom I gained with other women who needed words of encouragement.

What is your target audience for the book?

My goal is to reach teenage girls, women and mothers, who are seeking healing from physical and emotional abuse, low self-esteem, domestic violence and generational trauma. Sometimes it only takes a few motivating words from someone who understands, to remind them of how powerful and loved they are.

What do you hope readers could get out of your book?

My hope is for readers to receive a renewed awareness of their worth, so they can heal from repressed pain, love themselves and accept true healthy love.

We all deserve to live a life filled with joy and unconditional love from unimaginable sources. However, we must heal before those rewards are given to us. The light at the end of the tunnel is there, but can only be reached by cultivating the strength, courage and tenacity within ourselves.

What are your future goals/plans for the book?

Sharing my inspiring words as a motivational speaker and connecting with other women around the world would bring me so much joy.

I feel like I can make an impact on someone’s life by being transparent about my personal growth and the steps I took to heal from my own generational trauma.

Something more about yourself.

I love encouraging people to stand in their power.

As a child, I always felt like I had this huge mission to use my skills and innate gifts for the betterment of the world. Although I was known as the “shy” introverted girl, I only felt safe expressing my emotions through writing. I was never judged for being different and there was never a right or wrong way for me to feel. Writing was my escape, but performing spoken word gave me an opportunity to connect with an audience. There was so much I had to say, so many lessons I needed to share and a new person I was discovering within myself. As my poetry collection grew, so did my desire to become an author.

Sharing the wisdom I’ve gained as a woman and single mother who’s healed from generational trauma, domestic violence and low-self-esteem, serves an altruistic purpose in my life. My poetry became the voice to many other women like me, who had little to no support and felt misunderstood.

I’ve previously written and self-published two other books of poetry, Growing Pains and The Awakening, which are both on Amazon. All my books highlight the introspective or “chrysalis” stage of spiritual metamorphosis before emerging as an enlightened individual.

Some of my poetic and musical influences are Maya Angelou, Floetry and Jill Scott. It’s always inspiring to witness women expressing themselves artistically, I become motivated to hone my craft.

Although writing provides me with fulfillment, so does being a mother. When life grants me a few breaks, I enjoy spending time with family, binge watching a great series on Netflix, or educating myself on esoteric topics.

You can find me on Facebook as Alyssa Speaks and on Twitter as @poetress_alyssa.